International Snow Science Workshop Proceedings - Montana State University Library

Item: Modelling the Effect of Changing Snow Cover Regimes on Alpine Plant Species Distribution in Alpine Context

• • Title: Modelling the Effect of Changing Snow Cover Regimes on Alpine Plant Species Distribution in Alpine Context

    Proceedings: International Snow Science Workshop Grenoble – Chamonix Mont-Blanc - October 07-11, 2013

    Authors:

    • Jean-Pierre DEDIEU  [ University of Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LTHE (UMR 5564), F-38000 Grenoble, France ]
    • Christophe RANDIN  [ UNIBAS, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, CH-4056 Basel, Suisse ]
    • Massimiliano ZAPPA  [ WSL-SLF, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape, Birmensdorf, CH-8903, Suisse ]
    • Stefan DULLINGER  [ Dep. of Conservation Biology, Vegetation- and Landscape Ecology, Univie, Rennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, Austria ]

    Date: 2013-10-07

    Abstract: Snow cover is a critical parameter for the distribution of plant species in alpine regions. Earlier snow melt and an elongation and/or shift of the snow-free period - as a result of increasing summer temperatures observed since the 1990’s – might hence severely alter the spatial pattern of suitable habitats for many alpine plants. Here, we use two spatially-explicit and physically-based snow distribution models (PREVAH and SnowModel) to develop various snow cover maps (SCMs) at a 20m resolution for a high mountain landscape in Austria. We use four different mountain ranges in the North-eastern Calcareous Alps (Mt. Hochschwab, Mt. Rax, Mt. Schneealpe and Mt. Schneeberg; overall area of about 150 km2). SCMs will first be evaluated with SPOT-HRVIR images. After successful evaluation, accordant SCMs will be simulated under various scenarios of temperature, precipitation and wind regime changes for the middle and the end of the 21st century (A2 IPCC scenario). These SCMs are finally used as additional predictor variables in species distribution models (SDMs) to assess potential modification in the area and connectivity of the habitats of a set of alpine plants, in particular those confined to sites with long-lasting snow cover (“snowbeds”). The main parameters analyzed are the timing and duration of the snow period to provide spatial projection of species distribution under current and future climate conditions. SDMs results indicate that changes on snowbeds species may be buffered (2050’s) but then could become stronger at the end of the century.

    Object ID: ISSW13_paper_P4-25.pdf

    Language of Article: English

    Presenter(s): Unknown

    Keywords: snow, mountains, climate change, alpine ecology

    Page Number(s): 1298-1303

    Subjects: snow cover alpine snowpack modeling

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